“Summary Execution”

(Just a bit of short, short fiction. I think the idea’s clever, but I’m expecting to learn that someone has done it before.)

“Into the alley, swine,” said Sergeant Adler. He kicked the manacled prisoner, who stumbled and fell forward onto his knees. Adler followed into the shadows with a nod to the patrolmen, who returned his nod and strolled away together.

“You think you will be taken into custody,” he said to the prisoner. “Consultation with a lawyer, arraignment, trial before a judge.”

“You don’t understand,” the prisoner stuttered. He was a foreigner. His German was bad.

“No, it is you who do not understand,” said Adler. “You do not understand that there are crimes that do not warrant the protections of the law. For such crimes – such crimes as you just attempted – we policemen deal with the criminal ourselves, saving the state the costs of your pointless defense.”

“No, listen –”

Adler aimed another kick at the prisoner, who fell on his side, whimpering.

“All that will be spent on such an animal as you is the price of one bullet,” said Adler, raising his service pistol.

“No! You’ve got to listen to me,” the prisoner whimpered. “That boy – he’s not just a boy! He’s – he’s a monster! If he’s allowed to live, millions will die. He’ll start a movement, become a dictator! The whole world will suffer! I’m not a German. I’m not even from this time in history. I’m a traveler from the future! I’ve come back to stop him! The boy’s name is A-”

Adler’s pistol barked. The prisoner jerked and went slack.

“If there’s one thing that cannot be endured in a civilized country,” said Adler, “it’s a child killer.”

My first thought is that in the current environment, any story about cops taking justice into their own hands is going to trigger so much emotional baggage that any other issues and even plot lines will be lost in the haze.